By Kevin Lee Associate Editor

The conversation started innocently enough. One subject dissolved tangentially into another and before long we were touching on matters of philosophy. By the time my dialogue partner and I met at loggerheads over the subjective versus objective nature of beauty and truth, it seemed things might not go so smoothly.

Then came the part that set me on edge. This conversant began to question the subject selection of my columns, proffering that I favored some art forms over others.

I told him that subject matter is gauged by a lot of things, including feedback. If we can tell that readers are interested in some subjects more than others, then we might lean in that direction.

And in utmost honesty, there are more pragmatic factors that go into the selection process, things we merely bear more than enjoy, but that enable the entire process to continue.

However, when this chap told me he wasn’t the only person with this opinion, that it was validated by others, my ears raised. To hear his recital of things, it sounded as if he and this clutch of cultural mavens sat in pointed conversation about the dearth of quality arts coverage in town, but mainly as it concerned the particular disciplines they favored.

Granted, it was flattering to know I had at least been the subject of discussion. Yet the summation of my content as ignoring visual art chapped me. I knew for a fact there had been many shows at area galleries and museums of which I had written. I particularly remember being shocked when an e-mail from one of the artists in the Tullman Show at the Mobile Museum of Art wrote me a thanks for my review of the exhibit.

While precious few of my mentions were actually reviews of shows, they were all aimed at boosting attendance at and participation in the genres I was accused of ignoring.

The conversant said it was such a shame that the “visual stuff is some of the edgier stuff going on out there.”

I asked where and when these shows were, why had none of these cognescenti he mentioned bothered to tell me about these shows? They certainly could get contact information from the paper or Web site.

He couldn’t answer this but began to offer a solution. “How about if you had a guest writer send you something every issue,” he asked, “something we could all get together and send to you?”

“In place of my work?” I asked.

“Well, maybe at the end of your column,” he said.

“My columns aren’t as long as you think,” I responded.

“Well, you can afford the room,” he said. “I mean so much of your stuff is just filler anyway.” A real silver-tongued persuader, this one.

“How about if you just send me the info on where the shows are going to be?” I said.

“How about if we submit something?” he continued.

“How about if you just tell me about the show?” I repeated.

He kept it up until I told him to submit something so I could read it to see what he was talking about. I never received the first word from him.

But what stuck with me was the gulf between what this man began driving at and the point where he arrived. It would seem as if this group of intelligentsia wanted to avoid supplying me an opportunity to write in order to control the content of my columns.

Inevitably, I wandered back to the lackluster job that a lot of arts folk in the area do with keeping others informed. It is a common malady and one that needs a remedy.

I remember the Arts Forum of 2004, a day-long event the Mobile Arts Council arranged in an attempt to provide an unprecedented networking and learning opportunity for Mobile’s creative quarters.

Despite getting the information out there, attendance was still mediocre. The afternoon consisted of paneled discussions on various subjects. I sat at a table with the Press-Register’s Thomas Harrison and Mobile Bay Monthly’s Laura Van Landingham to expound on media exposure and how to gain it.

The room held less than 10 audience participants. One would think from such a thing that there were no problems disseminating word of arts happenings across Mobile. However, I still hear locals complaining about arts coverage.

This is the bottom line: journalists have to hear about something to know if it’s happening. If you think there are things worth attention, then tell someone.

I’ll readily admit some cultural entities elicit more ink from us than others and it’s mainly because they do the best job of keeping us informed. There’s no mystery to that.

But if you’re doing something from a grassroots level, or something that flies outside the mainstream, then getting word to media is so much more vital.

And here’s another hint: passion and persistence help, much more so than telling someone their writing consists of “filler.”

Kevin Lee is Lagniappe associate editor. Contact him at klee@lagniappemobile.com.

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